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Dems crushing McCain in money war

John McCain had his second biggest fundraising month in February, pulling in $11 million mostly after he all but secured the GOP presidential nomination with a collection of big wins in the Super Tuesday contests on Feb. 5.

But that was less than the $11.7 million the senator from Arizona raised in January, when he was still locked in a tight four-way race for his party's nomination, suggesting Republican donors have yet to coalesce behind their standard-bearer.

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His February tally pales in comparison to the staggering sums raised by the two Democrats, raising troubling questions for Republicans as they look toward November and perhaps increasing the likelihood McCain will accept taxpayer cash for his general election campaign.

Democrat Barack Obama raised $55 million last month, the highest monthly total by any candidate still in a contested primary, while his rival for the nomination, Hillary Clinton, pulled in $35 million in February, according to reports filed late Thursday with the Federal Election Commission. Their February hauls bring their total contributions since the beginning of the campaign to $194 million for Obama, a senator from Illinois, and $156 million for Clinton, a senator from New York.

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McCain has raised $60.2 million overall — less than a third of Obama's tally.

Without a bruising primary on his hands, McCain was able to start getting his financial house in order last month. He ramped down his spending to $7.8 million overall, including only $1.7 million on media. By comparison, in January he spent a total of $10.4 million, with fully half of that — $5.2 million — on media. And last month he paid back $923,000 of the $3.9 million in bank loans he took out last year to keep his campaign afloat, finishing last month with $8 million in the bank.

A strategist working with McCain said the campaign this week also paid back the rest of the bank loans, which Democrats complain were secured improperly, using as collateral the promise of public funds designated for the primary election that McCain does not intend to accept.

But a comparison of the fundraising reports filed by McCain versus those posted by Obama and Clinton indicate the Republican might be well served to participate in the general election public financing program, which he took steps to do this month. It would provide $84 million in taxpayer money but subject McCain's campaign to spending limits that would render him at an extreme disadvantage to a Democrat who fundraises at Obama's rate.

If McCain did decide to take the public cash, he'd have to return or transfer to a so-called compliance committee the $2.9 million that he has raised in money that can only be used for the general election. Obama has raised about $7 million for the general election, while Clinton has raised more than $21 million.

McCain's campaign says he hasn't decided whether to take the public money. And the strategist working with the campaign dismissed a question about the disparity between McCain's fundraising and that of his Democratic rivals.

"We've been successful despite being heavily outspent in the past," the strategist said, referring to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's largely self-funded campaign for the GOP nomination.

Plus, this strategist asserted that the expensive contest between Obama and Clinton — likely to continue after the April 22 Pennsylvania primary — works in McCain's favor.

"The Democratic race is far from being settled and we've got an incredible opportunity to focus this race and show the American people why McCain is the most qualified and most prepared for the job," the strategist said.

The campaign finance reports show Obama spent heavily in February in an effort to put away Clinton, who appeared on the brink of defeat until her wins in Texas and Ohio on March 4.

Obama spent $42.7 million in February — 42 percent more than he spent in January, when the first contests were held — compared with the $31.6 million Clinton spent last month.

Still, his campaign ended the month with $39 million in the bank and less than $1 million in debt. Clinton finished with $33 million on hand and $8.7 million in debt, not including a $5 million loan she gave her campaign, which it had yet to start paying back.

That's just it! We don't want this issue with Rev. Wright to disappear. Why you ask? Because this issue will be keep on the front burner the problems in America. I am totally confident the President Obama will be able to fix the problems, created by Repugnant party. All we have to do is vote in the people needed to make the changes in America. That is what President Obama meant when you said the he alone would not be able to make the changes and that We must be prepared to do our share. OBAM 08, courage to make the difficult choices!!

Obama crushes McCain - and the Clintons - in the money war, in voter turnout, in appealing to young voters and first-time voters, he wins more states, more primaries, and more caucuses, actually writes the books he publishes (unlike McCain and both Clintons), writes many of his own speeches (can anyone unearth a speech McCain or Hillary has written? They merely deliver one-liners, talking points), and yet, and yet, he hasn't proven himself? Just what does the black man have to do to prove himself "good enough" to serve this country? Win the nomination of his party? Okay. Stay tuned. Time for a Change, America.

Just yesterday it has been reported in the media that Obama called his Grandmother a "“typical white person"...

What kind of a man throws his own family under the bus? Just because she is white and thinks differently? Our blood is still our blood and if he can't respect that, then he won't respect any of us.

I'd like an Obama supporter to explain why we should vote for a racist hypocrite, who has brought his family and young children around an anti-Semitic cult that has reprinted. His associations show extremely poor judgement, particularly for an Ivy-league educated family.

"Obama's Trinity United Church of Christ in early July 2007 published a Hamas terror manifesto in the Pastor's Bulletin of the Church newsletter. The pages from the pastor's column were published in the Los Angeles Times on July 10, 2007 The Hamas manifesto compared itself to the American Declaration of Independence. Israeli security officials have for some time been anxious about Obama advisor Robert Malley, who has advocated negotiating with Hamas.

Barack Obama is unfit to lead our country and he needs to drop out immediately. He's no better than the racists of the past and he's just the other side of the David Duke coin. We deserve better and he is no better than those he directs his anger against.

McCain had better take Public Money, because until he gets on the "Right" side of the GOP he ain't getting "One Thin Dime" from me.

Look, man . . do what millions of other Republicans are doing this election cycle . . . dude, just sit this one out.

"I'm sick and tired of the politics of fear in this country. He's the only one who doesn't do that," Thieblemont said of Obama. "He's the only candidate who's said he'd talk to our enemies and try to get some common ground."

You better worry about 1 in 5 Clinton supporters defecting to McCain if Obama gets the nomination, OR 1 in 5 Obama supporters defecting to McCain. Info just came out... The divisive campaign is destroying your Dem party and chances to win the White House and it won't get any better with the two power-hungry candidates you have...

But, according to Obama's wife this is your only shot at Obama... If I were you I'd dump that opportunistic candidate. He hasn't put in the time and would turn your back on your party if you don't give him what he wants NOW. Even the Dems can do better than that.

While McCain visits the troops Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama deliberate as to how fast they should surrender and turn Iraq into the Killing fields. Cambodia would be a small killing operation in comparison.

The Liberals are out there twisting arms trying to get the super-delegates and disenfranchising voters to do it.

If giving a nickel to back-stabbing, open-borders traitor McCain would save me from hell-fire I'd be getting a tall glass of ice water and fire extinguisher handy. I would happily vote Joseph Stalin in order to defeat McCain. Send McCain to the traitor scrap heap and start over.